


In a Name

by ideallyqualia



Series: Rare Pairs [60]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Canon Universe, M/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-28
Updated: 2015-12-28
Packaged: 2018-05-09 22:20:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5557706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ideallyqualia/pseuds/ideallyqualia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tsukishima never gave him permission to call him <i>Tsukki</i>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In a Name

**Author's Note:**

  * For [stereosymbiosis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/stereosymbiosis/gifts).



> An hqhols treat for a pinch hitter! Sorry about the lateness.

"Can you get the ball for me, Tsukki?"

Tsukishima's head swiveled to him. "What did you just say?"

Nishinoya's head tilted, slowly, drawing his mouth through the words, "Can you get the ball?"

"You called me _Tsukki_."

"I guess?"

"No, you _did._ "

"...Can you get the ball?" Nishinoya repeated.

Tsukishima breathed forcefully. His small, slight turn answered for him, satisfying Nishinoya as he walked to the volleyball on the sideline with his mouth pulled in a tight frown. He stooped for the ball and span it in his hands, losing himself in thought for a moment.

Nishinoya was really inconsistent with his names for Tsukishima. He called some people by their first names, _Shouyou_ or _Ryuu_ , or sometimes just _Asahi_ , but lately Nishinoya began wavering between names for Tsukishima. He swore he heard Nishinoya try combining names.

Tsukishima walked right up to Nishinoya and pushed the ball into his chest. He pulled away when Nishinoya's hands shot up to catch it.

"Is there a reason you called me Tsukki?"

Nishinoya rested the ball at his waist, his hand pressed around its side to keep it in place. "Yamaguchi calls you 'Tsukki'."

"We've been friends for a _while_."

"Don't you want a nickname? I'll make up a different one, then."

Tsukishima shifted on his feet. "No, nothing. I don't need one."

"What's your favorite food again?"

"You are _not_ naming me after food."

"What do you like? Mackerel? Miso soup? Chocolate?"

"None of those." Tsukishima turned and started walking away, heading towards his water bottle left on the sideline. Practice hadn't started yet, but Tsukishima's throat already felt dry and uncomfortable. He needed _something_ to clear his throat.

"'Kei' sounds too friendly. You're a formal kind of guy," Nishinoya continued as he followed Tsukishima. "'Tsukishima' is long. 'Tsukki' fits perfectly."

Tsukishima silently sipped his drink, taking his time to stall and not waste water in a huge gulp.

Nishinoya stopped talking. He rubbed his hand into his chin, his eyes squinting into the wall as he thought. The concentration there almost made Tsukishima glance to see if there was anything actually there, but he didn't fall for it. He drew his eyes to Nishinoya instead, surveying his mood, waiting for him to do something.

"You're terrible at receives," Nishinoya said, his voice trailing off as if he was thinking out loud.

Tsukishima coughed. "Excuse me?"

"You should be using this extra time before practice for personal receive practice!" Nishinoya clapped Tsukishima on the arm. "Come on, I'll help you."

"I haven't stretched yet."

"Then stretch! What are you waiting for?" Nishinoya stepped around and pushed at his back. "No time for being stingy, Tsukki."

"Stingy with what?"

" _Stingy_ ," Nishinoya repeated unhelpfully. "There's no time for being stubborn and stingy. Being part of the team means working hard."

"I've been on the team for months now," Tsukishima said, voice level but undercut with a sense of sarcasm.

"Ryuu!" Nishinoya called out. "Come on over and help with practice!"

"It didn't start yet!"

"Not team practice, _pre_ -practice!"

Tsukishima stared dully at the volleyball net. He moved on to stretching, folding his leg to stand on one foot and alternating to get to them both. Nishinoya and Tanaka continued yelling at each other, and out of the corner of his eyes, Tsukishima saw them standing side by side. Tanaka had already walked over by now, and they were gesturing around wildly, their hands spread in the air for a yell.

"Shouldn't you two be stretching, too?" Tsukishima asked.

"In a minute."

"Rally for practice with us!"

Tsukishima's eyes closed in a slow blink, ignoring the noise for more stretching. Nishinoya and Tanaka continued to "rally" as Tsukishima moved on to windmilling his arms one at a time. He didn't respond to Hinata and Kageyama's voices mixing in and joining the background of noise as they walked through the doors, drifting by on squeaking shoes.

Yamaguchi stopped beside him after he walked into the gym. "Tsukki?"

Tsukishima lowered his arm. "I'm done stretching. Is Suga here yet?"

"No, I only see Daichi."

"We have to wait a little longer, then." Tsukishima's eyes followed Hinata and Nishinoya on the court, their arms lowering from greeting each other. They looked like they were about to start doing practice on their own, moving for a ball and readying to toss and receive.

Nishinoya waved a hand. "Tsukki, Yamaguchiiii! We're starting!"

Asahi's hands hovered in the air, level to the middle of his chest as if he was trying to quiet them, his mouth twisting uncomfortably from where he stood near them. "Not everyone's here yet..."

Nishinoya handed him the ball. "Throw the ball to us for receive practice."

Tsukishima sighed, resigning himself as he took a step away.

"Tsukki?" Yamaguchi asked, an eyebrow raised as he glanced ahead at Nishinoya and Asahi, with Tanaka and Hinata orbiting around them enthusiastically.

"I'm going to help them. Might as well," Tsukishima said.

Yamaguchi walked beside him to join, and Tsukishima led them to Nishinoya's side of the court, his head nodding with the momentum in thought. Yamaguchi didn't ask why Nishinoya called him 'Tsukki.' He sounded fine with it. Tsukishima didn't expect a huge reaction, but he expected _something_.

"Don't you think it's strange that he's trying to use a nickname with me now?" Tsukishima asked Yamaguchi quietly.

"No. It seems fine."

"Why?"

Yamaguchi shrugged. "I just think it feels normal."

"Is it because you already call me that?"

"I don't know."

Tsukishima's eyes slid away. "If you don't know, then I don't, either."

They stopped in front of the group, watching as the ball flew out of Nishinoya and Tanaka's hands. It bounced off the wall and fell to the floor, rolling near the door until a foot stepped on it.

Suga lifted his foot away with a sigh. "What are you guys doing?"

"Practice," Nishinoya said. He waved his arms for the ball.

Suga eyed the readied stance in Nishinoya's legs. He lifted his arms, pulling his elbow back as he threw it forward, far to the side. Nishinoya instinctively dove, leaping with his arms together in a receive, his voice carrying out in a strangled yell. He sent the ball in the air, and he landed on his hands with a grunt.

"Did you try saying something that time?" Asahi asked.

Nishinoya got up and dusted his shoulders. "I was trying to decide what to yell."

"I thought I heard 'rolling' in there," Yamaguchi said.

"I'm trying to come up with something new!"

"Did you mix up something with 'rolling thunder'?"

"I didn't mix them up!"

Tsukishima's hand went to his mouth, covering a small snort and disguising it as clearing his throat.

"I heard that," Nishinoya said, his eyes narrowing.

"Let's move on to practice, now that we're all here," Suga said, rubbing at the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Now you _have_ to practice receiving." Nishinoya turned his head up cheerfully.

**Author's Note:**

> (General A/N that exists at the end of all my fics): I find unsolicited concrit really rude, I'm not looking for any. Please don't tell me someone was OOC/something happened you didn't like/it's too short/etc. in any bookmarks or comments.


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